For many years people have been utilizing the beds of vehicles such as pickup trucks for countless different uses, both with the tailgate of the truck bed up and also with the tailgate of the truck bed in the down position. One example of this is the loading, transportation and unloading of various vehicles and devices such as All Terrain Vehicles (“ATV'S”), snowmobiles and other devices.
In order to load and unload vehicles such as ATV's and snowmobiles into and out of the vehicle, a ramp, structure or other framework generally bridges the gap between the end of the tailgate in the down position and the ground or other location it is desired to ramp to. In some embodiments, the ramp or structure may be carried in the bed of the truck and slid out when it is desired to use it.
A safety related issue may develop with some of the existing ramp systems and this issue relates to the proper securing of the ramp or structure to the tailgate when a vehicle such as an ATV is being moved up and/or down the ramp. During loading or unloading the ramp can become dislodged or disengaged from its desired or intended location and this exposes the rider and others to safety issues. The typical prior art means of securing the ramps to the tailgates are straps that must be manually attached to the ramp and to a part of the truck such as the bumper or tailgate.
The cumbersome nature of crawling under the tailgate to secure the straps causes many loaders or users to skip that process and try to load or unload without properly securing the ramp(s), hoping and chancing that the ramp or structure will not slip or move to an undesired location during the loading or unloading. The injuries and damages that may regularly occur during this process are obvious.
It is therefore an object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a quicker and easier means to secure ramps, structures and other frameworks to the tailgate of a pickup vehicle.
Furthermore, in situations where the ATV or snowmobile is being unloaded, typically the ramp or structure will typically then be slid back into the bed of the pickup and secured to prevent the theft thereof. This invention may be utilized for example for loading ATV's, lawn mowers, and golf carts as a few examples of applications.
In some embodiments of this invention it is an object to provide an attachment apparatus that can be secured and locked into place when the user of the vehicle is not present. Some embodiments of this invention provide for the attachment and locking of the invention to locking tailgate latches which are present for example in newer pickup models. This for example allows for the locking of the vehicle and locking of the tailgate latch with invention locked therein so that the ramp may be left in the down position until the user returns to the truck to reload the vehicle up the ramps without having to slide them back out of a secure position within the truck and remount the ramp or structure for loading. The locking of the tailgate latch via the vehicle may therefore lock the invention to the vehicle via the tailgate locking mechanism of the vehicle.
It is also an objective of some embodiments of this invention to provide a securement mechanism which only safely attaches and detaches to the existing pickup without modification or destructive changes to the pickup (such as bolt holes and other modifications to the vehicle). Some embodiments of this invention accomplish this by providing components which lockably attach and detach to and within the existing latches in the tailgate of pickup trucks.
In other embodiments of this invention, a securement mechanism may be provided to attach other items to the tailgate of a truck and which lock and secure them into place. For example for those who tailgate and use barbecues at sports events, embodiments of this invention may be securely attached to barbecues and other equipment being used, and locked securely while the user goes into the sporting event by simply using the existing latching and locking mechanisms provided with the truck.
While the invention was motivated in addressing some objectives, it is in no way so limited. The invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded, without interpretative or other limiting reference to the specification, and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents. Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will appear from the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying out the objects of this invention, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible to change in design and structural arrangement, with only one practical and preferred embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as required.